Agriculture

A fresh hybrid of law and financial savvy for farm-to-table growers and value-added agriculture ventures.

“Organic and local produce is becoming a new wave. A lot of the large food distributors will be trying to connect with small, ethical farm businesses. Small producers are trying to learn to grow into large businesses without losing their values.”

Jason Bartell

It’s easy to love farm business when you’ve got farming in your blood. Founder Jason Bortell grew up on a farm, so it’s only natural that he learned to combine agricultural law with an understanding of farm business as part of his practice.

Jason has a real interest in locally grown food products, organic farming and the farm-to-table movement.

An artisanal grower himself, he owns a small orchard where he grows apples and produces honey. He’s also doing the legal groundwork for a food hub in Rantoul, Illinois, to open opportunities for his own farm and others in the community.

Our firm is often asked to help set up agricultural cooperatives and value added food ventures. We are also very familiar with the law and business needs of family-owned farms, grain elevators and seed businesses.

We help producers develop plans for family farms, business start ups, acquisitions, mergers and farm succession planning.

We’ve also taken an active interest in helping producers sort through the business implications of the Food Safety Modernization Act. It has an impact on the sanitation that’s required of farm products. These standards need to be reflected in the processes for both producers and packers, and also need to be consistent with precedents set by other growers and packers.